Early Reading and Phonics

D’Eyncourt is united in its determination that every pupil will learn to read. The systematic phonics programme sets out clear, term-by-term expectations for pupils’ progress, ensuring consistency and precision in teaching. This rigid and robust approach through Read Write Inc. (RWI) guarantees that all pupils access reading at the right level and at the right time, enabling every child to build the skills and confidence needed to become a fluent, enthusiastic reader.

Implementation:

What is our curriculum?

We teach phonics systematically using the Programme. Our expectations for children at the end of each year are outlined in the table below:

Year	Expectations
Nursery	To use set 1 phonic sounds and have some recognition of these.
Reception	To be confident in set 1 and set 2 sounds. To confidently segment and blend words and read cvc and cvcc words. To read all of set 1 and 2 red words. To spell set 1 red words.
Year 1	To be confident in set 1, set 2 and set 3 sounds. To read all of set 3 words. To write set 2 words. To spell set 1 and 2 tricky words. To confidently read the first 100 high frequency words and write them accurately.
Year 2	To write set 3 words. To read and write the next 200 common words. Focus on spelling rules.

Nursery: Phase One Foundations

In Nursery, children follow Phase One of Letters and Sounds to develop their speaking and listening skills. This phase lays the foundations for systematic synthetic phonics by helping children tune into the sounds around them and preparing them for oral blending and segmenting.

During the final term of Nursery, children begin to say the sounds of letters using mnemonics. This early introduction supports them to start blending sounds into words. At D’Eyncourt, we use the Read Write Inc. (RWI) programme to teach pure sounds, which helps children blend more accurately and confidently.

Read Write Inc. Phonics Structure

Children are taught sounds in three sets:

Set 1 Sounds

Introduced in a specific order and supported by rhymes to help children form letters correctly and instantly recognise sounds for blending.

Set 2 Sounds

Focusing on long vowel sounds, these are introduced in Reception and consolidated at the start of Year 1.

Set 3 Sounds

Taught once children are secure with Sets 1 and 2, typically during Year 1, enabling them to tackle more complex words.

Phonics in Key Stage 2

In Years 3 and 4, any children who did not pass the Year 2 Phonics Screening Check receive phonics sessions throughout the week. These lessons take place in progress groups based on half-termly assessments to ensure each child receives targeted support at the right level, enabling gaps to be closed and fluency developed.

Impact

How is impact measured?

In Reception, children complete a baseline assessment, followed by half-termly assessments aligned with those used in Years 1 and 2.
Pupils are placed into progress groups according to their current phonic knowledge and receive daily teaching matched precisely to the sounds they know securely.
At the end of Year 1 (and again in Year 2 if required), children complete the Phonics Screening Check, decoding 40 real and pseudo-words to demonstrate their ability to apply their phonics skills.

How do we know children have made progress?

Children move through the Read Write Inc. programme by progressing from group activities to ditties, and then through a carefully sequenced set of colour‑coded storybooks:

Green → Purple → Pink → Orange → Yellow → Blue → Grey

This progression evidences children’s increasing fluency, confidence, and decoding accuracy.

How do we challenge and support lack of progress?

Half-termly assessments include a fluency check, identifying children ready to transition to Guided Reading as they become fluent readers.
Assessments also highlight the lowest 20% of readers or any other pupils requiring additional support.
These children receive targeted 1:1 ‘keep‑up’ interventions to ensure rapid and sustained progress.

Inclusion

Read Write Inc. Phonics at D’Eyncourt Primary School is an inclusive programme designed for all children learning to read, especially those working at developing or below age‑related expectations. The structure ensures every child receives high-quality, systematic phonics teaching.

Children learn the 44 common English sounds, supported initially by mnemonics to support recall and correct articulation. They are taught to blend sounds to read and spell using a clear sequence that builds strong phonological awareness.

The programme also teaches that the number of graphemes in a word matches the number of phonemes, strengthening spelling accuracy. Letter names are introduced once children reach Set 3 Sounds, ensuring they first secure phoneme–grapheme correspondence

Speed Words

Use the speedy words below to support your child’s reading. Your child’s teacher can tell you which words to revisit and which ones to focus on.

Useful Links:

Expectation of Progress